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Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Membrane Traffic01:44

Introduction to Membrane Traffic

The ER, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, and lysosomes work in tandem to modify, sort, and package proteins and lipids. An integrated membrane trafficking network facilitates the back and forth shuttling of molecules within different organelles in the same cell or across the cell membrane.
The transport of soluble and membrane proteins is mediated by transport vesicles that collect cargo from one cellular compartment and deliver it to another by fusing with the target organelle membrane. The Rab...
Introduction to Membrane Traffic01:44

Introduction to Membrane Traffic

The ER, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, and lysosomes work in tandem to modify, sort, and package proteins and lipids. An integrated membrane trafficking network facilitates the back and forth shuttling of molecules within different organelles in the same cell or across the cell membrane.
The transport of soluble and membrane proteins is mediated by transport vesicles that collect cargo from one cellular compartment and deliver it to another by fusing with the target organelle membrane. The Rab...
Clathrin Coated Vesicles01:12

Clathrin Coated Vesicles

Clathrin-coated vesicles use endocytosis to transport receptors and lysosomal hydrolases from the Golgi to the lysosome in the late secretory pathway. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the first described endocytic process, and Clathrin-coated vesicles remain one of the most well-studied transport vesicles. The molecular machinery that generates clathrin-coated vesicles comprises over 50 proteins that precisely coordinate vesicle formation. Cell surface receptors concentrated in indented sites...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane01:28

Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane

The translocon complex situated on the ER membrane is the main gateway for the protein secretory pathway. It facilitates the transport of nascent peptides into the ER lumen and their insertion into the ER membrane.
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the translocon complex.
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER01:28

Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER

Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Visualizing Intracellular SNARE Trafficking by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
08:55

Visualizing Intracellular SNARE Trafficking by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Published on: December 29, 2017

Structure and mechanism in membrane trafficking.

Frederick M Hughson1, Karin M Reinisch

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA. hughson@princeton.edu

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|April 27, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Understanding intracellular transport requires studying vesicular trafficking machinery. Integrated structural studies reveal how protein complexes shape membranes and guide vesicle docking and fusion.

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Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Visualizing Intracellular SNARE Trafficking by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
08:55

Visualizing Intracellular SNARE Trafficking by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Published on: December 29, 2017

Image-Based Methods to Study Membrane Trafficking Events in Stomatal Lineage Cells
11:31

Image-Based Methods to Study Membrane Trafficking Events in Stomatal Lineage Cells

Published on: May 12, 2023

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy
10:49

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: March 5, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Intracellular transport relies on vesicles budding and fusing between compartments.
  • Protein complexes are crucial for vesicular trafficking machinery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss integrated structural studies of proteins involved in membrane shaping for vesicle formation.
  • To examine the role of tethering factors in orchestrating vesicle docking and fusion.

Main Methods:

  • X-ray crystallography
  • Electron microscopy
  • Integrated structural studies

Main Results:

  • Structural insights into protein complexes that assemble membranes into vesicles and tubules.
  • Understanding the function of tethering factors in vesicle docking and fusion.

Conclusions:

  • Integrated structural biology approaches are key to deciphering vesicular trafficking.
  • Protein complex assembly and tethering factors are critical for intracellular transport.